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| Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon delivers an address at the National Assembly, Tuesday, to detail spending plans included in the government's extra budget bill. / Yonhap |
By Choi Ha-young
Ruling and opposition parties confirmed, Tuesday, to draw up a bill for an independent investigation into a high-profile opinion-rigging scandal centered on a confidant of President Moon Jae-in.
The parties also agreed to start negotiations over the government's extra budget bill worth 4 trillion won ($3.72 billion).
These bills, if inter-party talks go smoothly, will be passed at a plenary National Assembly session on May 18.
The agreements came after weeks of bitter confrontations over the opposition demand for a special probe into the opinion-rigging scandal. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) finally agreed to this, but there could be a new round of partisan wrangling over the scope of the investigation.
The opposition side agreed not to specify President Moon and his confidant Kim Kyoung-soo ― a former DPK lawmaker who is running for a gubernatorial election in South Gyeongsang Province ― in the envisioned bill.
The opposition parties had demanded a wide-ranging investigation of Kim and other DPK members ― and even President Moon ― ahead of the mayoral and gubernatorial elections in June. The DPK had rejected the move saying it "disobeys the presidential election," which has led to a 42-day paralysis of the Assembly, coupled with a hunger strike by Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Kim Sung-tae.
Still, the investigation is likely to bring further conflict as the elections near. LKP floor leader Kim Sung-tae vowed "investigation without sanctuary," in a party meeting Tuesday. If the special prosecutor tries to search Cheong Wa Dae or question Kim Kyoung-soo, this could lead to fallout for the ruling camp.
"Even though the President and the DPK were removed from the title of the bill, the investigation will not rule out incidents that would be newly found as the investigation develops," Kim Sung-tae noted.
The parties agreed to get recommendations of four lawyers from the Korean Bar Association. Afterward, three Assembly negotiation groups ― the LKP, the Bareun Mirae Party and the members group for Peace and Justice ― will pick two of them. Then, President Moon is supposed to choose a special prosecutor who is in charge of forming a team.
At the May 18 plenary session, the parties are also supposed to pass the extra budget bill. As the first step in doing so, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon gave his administrative policy speech, Tuesday.
"The frustrations among young people are growing, due to high unemployment," Lee said in the speech. "The youth unemployment rate stands at 11.6 percent, and it is assumed almost 25 percent are jobless."
The budget bill also aims to boost the sluggish economies of southern industrial areas such as Gunsan of North Jeolla Province and Tongyeong of South Gyeongsang Province. "Along with shutdowns of shipyards and car manufacturing factories, the unemployment rate has more than doubled," Lee noted.
To meet the deadline of the passage, lawmakers are quickening their steps on a legislative review on the bill. Right after Lee's speech, the Assembly summoned the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. Other committees are expected to have meetings over the weekend.
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